Colonial Powers Carve Up Morocco: France and Spain’s Secret 1904 Agreement

In 1902, France and Spain shared their domination in Morocco, particularly in the northern regions of Fez and Taza. In 1904, the two countries concluded a secret agreement to renounce Fez and Taza and their future protectorate was reduced to the Rif and Jbala. In 1906, the Algeciras Conference was held, during which the European agreement was concluded to respect the sovereignty of the monarch and the territorial integrity of Morocco.

In 1907, the Franco-Spanish armed forces invaded Casablanca after the assassination, by Moroccans, of French workers working in the port factories of the city. These events accelerated French expansionist policy. Overwhelmed by the widespread protest movements in the kingdom, the monarch asked France for help to restore and maintain public order. This is how new French troops landed in Fez on May 21, 1911, recalls El Debate.

The Spaniards, who did not look favorably on this French expansion in Morocco, occupied Larache in June 1911. Already with a foothold in the border region with Melilla, they also established a strategic post in Ceuta, 14 kilometers from Tetouan. These operations by Spain and France aroused the suspicions of Germany, which threatened to invade Morocco as well to defend the interests of its companies established in the kingdom.

After lengthy negotiations, France ceded more territory in the Congo so that Germany would withdraw from Morocco, which allowed it to put pressure on the monarch to surrender. As in Tunisia, France demanded the establishment of two protectorates, one for itself and the other for Spain. The protectorate was finally recognized on March 30, 1912 and in April, France appointed General Lyautey to Morocco. The monarch abdicated in July and in November of the same year, Spain and France signed an agreement to delimit the area falling to Spain.